


Staying and Going

by ami_ven



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, Episode: s05e20 Enemy at the Gate, F/M, Jennifer Keller is a Good Bro, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Soon-to-Be-Past-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 22:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16669423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: Landing in San Francisco Bay makes Jennifer realize something important.





	Staying and Going

**Author's Note:**

> Written for LJ community "mcsheplets" prompt # 293 "season 5"

As the senior officers stood on the balcony, looking across San Francisco Bay at the city skyline, Jennifer leaned against Rodney’s shoulder and knew she would have to break up with him.

It was something she had thought about before, but when Atlantis had been in the Pegasus Galaxy, it had seemed like more of an abstract, a far-off someday when she would have to decide between her home on Earth and her relationship with Rodney. But here they were, just off the west coast of North America, and the decision was easier than she thought it would be.

Being on Earth felt right. Jennifer had appreciated her time on Atlantis – she hadn’t enjoyed it, necessarily, the constant danger, the life-and-death decisions, but she knew that all of those experiences had made her a better doctor – and she was ready to settle down to a permanent life on the planet of her birth.

Rodney wasn’t. 

Earth wasn’t home for him anymore. Atlantis was where he belonged, and she would never ask him to leave it. Which meant that their relationship, nice as it had been, would soon be over. 

And once Jennifer removed herself from the equation, began wondering how Rodney would be after they had flown Atlantis back to Pegasus without her, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen it before.

Rodney would be fine.

She knew he’d be a little dejected at first – he’d see the logic of their breaking up, would agree that she couldn’t leave Earth, and he couldn’t stay, but she knew his history with women and she was sure he’d take it hard.

But he wouldn’t be alone. He’d have his team, like he always did. Teyla and Ronon, Carson and Radek – and John.

And how hadn’t she seen that? Jennifer had usually been good at knowing when a man was gay or emotionally unavailable, and she hadn’t gotten that from either Rodney or John. But there was no denying that there was something between them, something deeper than friendship, deeper even than the sense of team-as-family-unit that got intensified with living in the Pegasus Galaxy.

But maybe _they_ didn’t know that.

John was military and Rodney was… not that great on the romantic uptake. Jennifer had practically had to hit him over the head with her interest, and he still had trouble realizing when she was being suggestive. If John was anything short of blatantly obvious about his feelings, Rodney would never believe he meant anything other than friendship.

Men were such idiots, sometimes.

Behind her, she heard Rodney’s radio crackle, echoed by John’s, on Ronon’s other side. “What?” Rodney demanded. “No, don’t – I’ll be right there.”

“On my way,” said John. “McKay…”

“Yes, coming,” Rodney snapped.

Jennifer took a step away from him, toward John. “Colonel? When you’re finished with this, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

He blinked, then looked over her shoulder at Rodney, who must have nodded because he said, “Um, sure. I’ll let you know when we’re done.”

“Great,” she said. 

Jennifer watched as the two of them left, automatically falling into step and leaning in to talk quietly together, then turned back to the San Francisco skyline.

“You are planning to remain here,” said Teyla, coming up beside her.

“Yes,” Jennifer admitted. 

“And you know that many of those on Atlantis, including Rodney, will fight to return the city to Pegasus.”

“Yes,” she repeated. “I need to stay and he needs to go back. That’s what I need to talk to Colonel Sheppard about.”

“Oh?” Teyla asked.

“I think I always kind of knew Rodney wasn’t mine to keep.”

“They are both so stubborn,” sighed Teyla, then smiled and leaned her forehead to Jennifer’s. “Do not forget to look after yourself.”

“I think I’ll be okay,” Jennifer said. She was about to break up with her boyfriend, then set him up with his best friend, because the two of them had been in love with each other for years, and she knew without a doubt it was the best decision for all of them. “Yeah, I’ll be okay.”

“Good,” rumbled Ronon, from beside them. “You deserve to be happy, too.” 

She smiled. “I will be.”

THE END


End file.
